(Map Courtesy of Google Maps.)
In
my first year at UCSB I gained thirty pounds, lurching from 130 to 160.
Despite jogging twenty miles a week and sampling gym machines at UCSBâs
Rec-Center, I couldnât escape the âFreshman Fifteen.â It caught me
twice! Even when I ran marathons up the mountains to the north, I
couldnât shake the weight.
Why?
Well, when you run, youâve gotta eat, and Isla Vistaâs got hungry
people covered. Today letâs look at some dining options near campus.
First, Iâm writing for Tropicana del Norte, so letâs discuss their cafeteria. Food is catered by College Fresh,
and I can state without bias Iâm looking forward to eating there again.
When I moved into an apartment for the 2016-17 school year I missed the
privilege of having teams of caterers make food for me. The menu
changes daily, and if one day nothing appeals to you, you can walk to
the back to order hamburgers and the like (or eggs made-to-order in the
morning). Grab some toppings and condiments from the sandwich-making
materials and youâve got a meal. I wouldnât eat here three meals a day
seven days a week, but as a staple food-source for college students,
Tropicana knows what theyâre doing.
Second,
letâs review UCSBâs dining halls for anyone who has a dining plan. The
dining hall closest to Tropicana Del Norte is probably Carrillo, in
Manzanita Village. Carrillo has the widest variety and best desserts,
but only soft-serve ice-cream. Ortega and De La Guerra both have hard,
scoopable ice-cream (DLG a wider selection). Ortega and DLG are quite
close to one another near the Old Little Theater, and of the two I
prefer DLG. Ortega offers sushi, but DLG has a build-a-burrito bar.
However, Ortega occasionally has sundae bars, chili bars, or other
special events Iâd recommend over DLG. Check the schedule
once school starts. Ortega is also the only dining hall which lets you
take a box of food off the premises. (Thereâs another dining hall,
Portola, but Iâve never been there. Itâs built into off-campus student
housing.)
On
campus there are two Subways, a Panda Express, a Jamba Juice, and other
assorted eateries, mostly in the University Center (U-Cen). I enjoy
Santorini Island Grill, which serves gyros, spanakopita, shawarma, and
baklava. I also enjoy the bulk candy bins at the U-Cen student store
(not the book-store, but nearby), where you can satisfy your sweet-tooth
and pay by the pound.
Anyone
whoâs been to UCSB before is waiting for me to mention FreeBirds (or,
uh, FreeB!rds) World Burrito, which is near Tropicana del Norte on
Pardall Road. Many campuses claim to have the first FreeB!rds, but only
UCSB touts that title legitimately. FreeB!irds offers burritos, monster
burritos, quesadillas, quesaritos (burritos made using quesadillas),
tacos, and nachos. Opinion differs on whether itâs comparable to
Chipotle, but the nearest Chipotle is miles away and FreeB!irds gives
you more food per dollar, I think. Generally a monster burrito will feed
a student for a day or two, and Iâd recommend splitting the nachos with
a friend.
Near
FreeB!rds, just outside of school, thereâs a third Subway, a Habit
burger grill, and a Starbucks. Down Pardall thereâs SilverGreens for
healthy burgers and vegetarian-friendly fare, and Buddha Bowls for
bread-bowls filled with soup or salad. When they scoop bread to make the
bowl, they give you the scoop as garlic bread!
Quite
a few restaurants serve boba, or bubble-tea. If youâve never had them
before, bobas (bobii?) are chewy little Taiwanese tapioca balls
submerged in a drink. You slurp them up with a wide straw. Some people
love âem, some people hate âem. Personally, I love âem. Maybe itâs a
Californian thing, or a Millennial thing, like avocados.
Anyway,
I first had boba at Hana Kitchen. Hana Kitchen sells meat-and-vegetable
bowls with rice; I prefer the vegan option, which is soy-based, as the
larger sizes are a bit too much meat for me to eat in one sitting. They
also have interesting tacos, and taco sales on Tuesdays. Hana Kitchen
sells boba and other drink-jellies in a variety of beverages like teas,
milk teas, and ice-slushes. The Pho Bistro sells boba in more exotic
flavors like taro root, alongside an extensive menu of vietnamese soups
and noodles. My favorite restaurant name is Naan Stop, an Indian
counter-service restaurant which also serves boba. True to their name,
theyâve got great naan.
Thereâs
no shortage of pizza in Isla Vista. The most famous pizza in IV would
either be Woodstockâs (which also has a kiosk on campus) or
Pizza-My-Heart. Pizza-My-Heart serves pizza by the slice, while
Woodstockâs serves mostly whole pizzas and has event nights, like trivia
night. Blaze Pizza on Pardall will build your pizza in front of you. If
youâd like a more standard experience, thereâs a Dominoâs near IV
Market next to a sushi place, Sushiya.
Finally,
desserts. The well-named IV Drip sells coffee and sandwiches, but is
most well-known for its ice-cream. The Equilibrium Cafe sells crepes of
all kinds. Next to Dominoâs, Sweet Alley sells frozen yogurt and candy
by weight.
This
isnât an exhaustive list of the restaurants in IV, but I hope it helps
you find places to eat with your friends in your first year at Isla
Vista. Thereâs enough variety here for everyone to find something they
enjoy. If you see me stocking up on food after a long run in preparation
for an exhausted hibernation, say hi, and tell me your favorite place
to eat! Did I leave it off my list?